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Wildlife White-tailed Antelope Squirrel Page
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 Photo by: J. des Lauriers |
White-tailed Antelope Squirrel
Ammospemophilus leucurus
Habitat: They inhabit semidesert shrublands, piņon-juniper woodlands, montane shrublands, and occasionally are found in lowland riparian communities. They occupy burrows dug by other species such as kangaroo rats or small ground squirrels, and also dig their own burrows under bushes, clumps of grasses, or at the base of trees, often in sandy soils near rock outcrops.
Diet: They are omnivorous, with flowers, fruits, and seeds making up about one-half to three-quarters of the diet (Armstrong 1982, W. Bradley 1968). These foods are supplemented with green matter, insects, small lizards, rodents, and carrion.
Description: White-tailed antelope squirrels are characterized by having single white lateral stripes that run from behind the shoulder to the hip. The dorsum is reddish brown to ash gray, and the venter is somewhat paler. The slightly bushy tail is whitish below and black to dark gray dorsally. While running, the animals carry the tail curved over the rump, revealing the flashy white undersurface, and leading to the common name antelope squirrel. Measurements are: total length 190-240 mm; length of tail 55-90 mm; length of hindfoot 35-45 mm; length of ear 9-11 mm; weight 80-110 g.
Range in Colorado: The white-tailed antelope squirrel occurs in the western third of the state to about 2,100 m (7,000 ft) in elevation.
Status: This species is not listed.
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Species Occurrence Tool
(*) NDIS has no county occurrence data for fish at this time.
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